Forming, filling and sealing machines having pour spout applicators at one of the stations therealong are known. For example, British Pape Patent Application Publication No. GB2,238,287 discloses an application station at which a rotatable mandrel or bar is provided, with the mandrel having two bosses projecting therefrom. While one of the bosses takes a pouring spout from a spout-conveying arrangement, the other of the bosses delivers a pouring spout to an opening through a panel of an open top of a carton, and vice-versa. In more detail, as a carton is indexed into the application station, the mandrel is rotated in the direction of the carton travel into the open top of the carton, aligning the spout-carrying boss with the opening formed in the selected panel of the top closure of the carton; the boss and pouring spout are moved laterally into the opening; the inner flanged end of the pouring spout is secured, such as by ultrasonic welding, to the inner wall around the opening; and the boss is withdrawn from the opening and then rotated out of the open top. An outer cap is attached to the pouring spout before assembly.
Bachner et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,374 discloses an applicator including a rotatable and translatable anvil having three (or more or fewer) radially extending arms. A mandrel on one arm frictionally engages a pour spout fitment simultaneously with a second mandrel inserting a fitment into a container hole. An ultrasonic sealer vibrates the container wall against the anvil to weld the fitment to the container. The applicator applies one fitment to one container at a time.
Other pouring spout applicators are disclosed in Kawajiri U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,811 and Okushita U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,923. Kawajiri discloses a horizontally elongated pour spout fitment attaching turret at a location upstream of the usual turret and radial mandrels on which the bottom end closure is folded and sealed. The fitment attaching turret includes a pusher at one station for pushing an open-ended package onto a sucker device holding and inserting a pour spout fitment into an opening in a package top panel. The fitment attaching turret is then rotated to a second station where an anvil is axially inserted into the package, cooperable with an ultrasonic horn for sealing a flange of the fitment to the inner surface of the top panel.
Okushita U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,923 discloses a bag-in-box arrangement wherein a fitment is attached to the bag which is then inserted through a hole in a flap of the box, while both are in the collapsed or blank state.
Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,934 and 5,435,803 disclose pour spout fitment applicators wherein the fitment is applied from within the carton, outwardly through an opening therein.